Development of an information sheet providing rapport advice for interpreters in police interviews

Dhami, Mandeep K.; Goodman‐Delahunty, Jane; Desai, Saoirse Connor

doi:10.1080/15614263.2017.1291580

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Researchers have also conducted a number of experimental laboratory studies evaluating the influence of interpreters on developing rapport, eliciting information, and assessing credibility. While interpreters appear to both diminish the amount of information elicited and, at times, lessen the prevalence of cognitive cues to deception, their presence has little or no influence on the development of rapport (Ewens, Vrij, Leal, et al, 2016) and the use of rapport tactics by an interpreter can positively transfer to an interviewee’s perceptions of the interviewer (Houston, Russano, & Ricks, 2017; see also Dhami, Goodman-Delahunty, & Desai, 2017). Studies have examined the introduction of a model statement (Ewens et al, 2016) and the use of reverse order recall (Ewens, Vrij, Mann, & Leal, 2016) in interpreter-mediated interviews, demonstrating increased information yield and the diagnostic utility of several cognitive cues to deception, respectively.…”

Section: The Hig Research Program: 2010 To Presentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing an evidence-based perspective on interrogation: A review of the U.S. government’s high-value detainee interrogation group research program.

Meissner¹,

Surmon-Böhr²,

Oleszkiewicz³

et al. 2017

Psychology, Public Policy, and Law

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Interrogation practices in the United States have been roundly criticized both for their accusatorial ethos, at times leading to false confessions by the innocent, and for a history of applying physical and psychological coercion in law enforcement, military, and intelligence contexts. Despite decades of psychological research demonstrating the failures of such approaches and despite recent positive advances in countries such as the United Kingdom moving to an information-gathering framework, little change has occurred in the training or practice of U.S. interrogation professionals over the past 50 years. This paper describes recent historical events that have led to the development of the first unclassified, government-funded research program on the science of interviewing and interrogation. Since 2010, the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) Research Program has identified effective approaches for developing cooperation and rapport, eliciting information, challenging inconsistencies by presenting evidence or information strategically, and assessing credibility using cognitive cues and strategic questioning tactics. The program has also examined the influence of culture and language, and has facilitated the translation of research from the laboratory to the field. In this context, we review the significant contributions of psychologists to understanding and developing ethical, legal, and effective interrogation practices, and we describe important future directions for research on investigative interviewing and interrogation. DEVELOPING AN EVIDENCE-BASED PERSPECTIVE 3 Developing an Evidence-Based Perspective on Interrogation: A Review of the U.S. Government's High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group Research Program The interrogation practices adopted by law enforcement, military, and intelligence professionals in the United States have been criticized both for their accusatorial ethos leading to false confessions and wrongful conviction of the innocent (Kassin et al., 2010; Lassiter & Meissner, 2010), as well as a dark history of applying torture in the interrogation booth (Costanzo & Redlich, 2010; Vrij et al., in press). Despite decades of research demonstrating the problems with such approaches and despite recent advances in countries such as the United Kingdom moving toward an information-gathering framework (Bull & Milne, 2004), little change has occurred in the training or practice of U.S. interrogation professionals over the past 50 years. This paper describes recent historical events that have led to the development of the first unclassified, government-funded research program on the science of interviewing and interrogation, and details its significant contributions to understanding and developing best practices. Notably, the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) research program has been shaped, almost exclusively, by an international cadre of research psychologists conducting studies in the laboratory, in training academies, and in the field. As detailed below, the HIG research progr...

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Section: The Hig Research Program: 2010 To Presentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing an evidence-based perspective on interrogation: A review of the U.S. government’s high-value detainee interrogation group research program.

Meissner¹,

Surmon-Böhr²,

Oleszkiewicz³

et al. 2017

Psychology, Public Policy, and Law

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show abstract

“…This task can be made even more difficult when the witness is an English language learner (i.e., L2 speakers). For some language learners, their level of English proficiency may require the use of an interpreter which can introduce a range of difficulties (Dhami et al., 2017). This paper focuses on language learners who are not yet fluent but who have acquired sufficient proficiency to not require an interpreter.…”

Section: Forensic Interviews With L2 Speakersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…English language learners, eyewitness interviews, misunderstandings, mock investigative interview a range of difficulties (Dhami et al, 2017). This paper focuses on language learners who are not yet fluent but who have acquired sufficient proficiency to not require an interpreter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When the eyewitness to a crime is an English language learner: Identifying and resolving troubles in understanding in interviews

Allison

Gerwing

Gadaire

2022

Journal Invest Psychology

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Investigative interviewing can be a difficult task. Challenges may be exacerbated when interviewing English language learners. The field of eyewitness testimony lacks research on what troubles of understanding are generated by non-native speakers and how these troubles are resolved. Thus, we undertook an exploratory study in which we aimed to provide definitions for identifying and characterising both troubles of understanding and resolutions. Data were simulated interviews between 17 dyads of native English-speaking student-interviewers and English language learner witnesses of a mock crime. We identified misunderstandings in each interaction and tracked who misunderstood, when the misunderstanding occurred (free/cued recall), whether it was resolved, and resolution strategies. We validated video analysis by checking for information consistency in the subsequent interviewer notes. Across dyads, 40 misunderstandings were found, with at least one in each interview.Witnesses misunderstood significantly more in the cued recall portion of the interview, while interviewers misunderstood more during free recall. Notably, participants resolved misunderstandings more often than not, used a variety of resolution strategies, and employed more strategies in unre-

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“…Other commonly used questioning strategies are the Cognitive Interview (Memon, Meissner, & Fraser, 2010) to enhance recall, and strategies applied with uncooperative suspects and witnesses, such as Conversation Management (Shepherd & Griffiths, 2013). Notably, several aspects of rapport in police interviews vary by culture, including turn taking, eye contact, back-channel responses, and behavioral and verbal mirroring (Dhami, Goodman-Delahunty, & Desai, 2017;Richardson, McCulloch, Taylor, & Wall, 2019).…”

Section: Interpreting Police Interviewing Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because interpreters are often unaware of investigative interviewing strategies, they might benefit from informative guidance defining rapport and outlining different rapport-building strategies applied by investigative interviewers, as was developed by Dhami et al (2017). A rapport-building information sheet was administered to half of the participants (undergraduate students), before they read a series of vignettes describing police interviews of foreign suspects who were speaking a language different from that of the interviewers.…”

Section: Briefing Interpreters On Rapport-building Strategies In Police Interviewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interpreted Police Interviews: A Review of Contemporary Research

Goodman‐Delahunty

Martschuk

Hale

et al. 2020

Advances in Psychology and Law

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Criminal justice proceedings are high-stakes settings in which native English speakers have difficulty negotiating the legal process, let alone persons with no or limited English proficiency. Increasingly, law enforcement interviewers are required to rely on interpreters (Mulayim & Lai, 2017;Shaffer & Evans, 2018). However, the mere presence of an interpreter does not guarantee accurate interpreting. If the interpretation is inaccurate, evidence can be misconstrued, affecting assessments of witness veracity and credibility. This can compromise the right of the parties to a fair trial and lead to wrongful convictions or acquittals, costly appeals, and retrials. The scale of the problem has been recognized by members of the judiciary, who for many years have complained that the poor quality of interpreters is detrimental to the court's ability to perform its duties (Hale, 2011). In response to calls for improvement, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe (1950), and comparable bodies in other jurisdictions mandated that interpreters be fully competent for the task assigned (Hertog, 2015). The assigned tasks include interpreting in the investigative phases of the criminal justice process, including suspect and witness interrogations and intelligence interviews. In different jurisdictions, the terminology applied to law enforcement interviews varies. In Australia and the United Kingdom (UK), the

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Development of an information sheet providing rapport advice for interpreters in police interviews

Cited by 8 publications

References 32 publications

Developing an evidence-based perspective on interrogation: A review of the U.S. government’s high-value detainee interrogation group research program.

Developing an evidence-based perspective on interrogation: A review of the U.S. government’s high-value detainee interrogation group research program.

When the eyewitness to a crime is an English language learner: Identifying and resolving troubles in understanding in interviews

Interpreted Police Interviews: A Review of Contemporary Research

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